Soldier
by LaVon Raine
Summary: Erskine Ravel, Skulduggery Pleasant, Corrival Deuce, the Dead Men, and my OC Sparrow Grace are trying to defeat Mevolent during the war. Things do not go as planned.
1. Chapter 1

Soldier

_Part 1_

I held back a scream as Nefarian Serpine slid a dagger up my arm, opening veins and arteries from my wrist to elbow. He'd learned hours before that his typical means of torture just didn't work on me. I closed my eyes tight against the pain and feel of my blood pouring from the new wound. "I'm not saying anything, Nefarian," I said hoarsely. He just gave me his evil smile.

"Then you will die," he said, a deadly gleam in his eyes. I closed mine again as he slid my tunic up, exposing my belly. He sliced with the dagger, making me hiss. "You don't want to die, do you, Grace?" he asked. I bit my lips to stop a sarcastic comment. "All you have to do is tell me where the Dead Men are at." I opened my eyes.

"Half-way between Dublin and Hell," I said. Serpine snarled. My back arched when he plunged the knife into my stomach.

"You little bitch," he growled. The wound in my left arm was agonizing as I struggled against the bonds. Blood pumped from the gashes Serpine had given me. I forced myself to meet his eyes.

"I will never betray my friends to the man who killed my brother and his family," I growled. "I will die first." His sparkling eyes settled into another glare and he moved the blade to hover just over my heart.

"As you wish," he said softly. He frowned. "These damned clothes," he snarled, reaching to pull the tunic from my shoulders. He didn't get far before a blast of air knocked him back.

I struggled to look behind me. I couldn't see much because of the restraints, but it didn't take long for them to get to me. Serpine saw the force and fled. I looked up to meet the eyes of the man undoing the metal bands around my wrists. "Tell Corrival that I refuse to play damsel anymore," I said, my vision going fuzzy. I shook my head, but that just made it worse. The pressure on my wrists and ankles released and someone scooped me up.

"I'm sure he'll understand," his voice rumbled above me. I barely realized it was Erskine's before I blacked out.

"I will never understand why you go on those stupid missions, Sparrow. You're a smart girl, you should know better," Kenspeckle Grouse said as he checked the bandages over my wounds.

"It's war, Professor, I'm doing what a soldier does. Fighting and playing with my enemies." He sighed.

"It's going to get you killed." He re-applied the bandages and said, "Another hour and you can take them off. I swear, I don't think I've ever met anyone as reckless as you, and I doubt if I ever will." I snorted and smiled.

"Yeah, I know," I said. "It's what makes me such a good warrior." The professor sighed.

"It runs in the family. I don't think I'm going to be able to keep the both of you alive much longer."

I sat up, softening my expression. "I'm not going to die on you, neither is Skulduggery." I paused in thought. "Though I'm sure you wouldn't mind if he would disappear once in a while." Kenspeckle just looked at me, his expression impossible to read.

"Fine, fine, I'll lie down and rest, sheesh." He nodded, then moved away to check on his other patients. I closed my eyes, listening to the quiet. Footsteps approached. I turned my head and the curtain parted. Skulduggery and Erskine stepped in. "How are you feeling?" Skulduggery asked.

I raised my eyebrows. "Like I've been torn up by a plow," I said dryly. I knew if he'd had eyes, he would be rolling them. Erskine's face was subdued. His eyes met mine, and my sarcasm dried instantly.

"I thought we were going to lose you for a second there," Erskine said softly. I reached over with my less-injured right hand and squeezed his.

"I'm more resilient than most, Ravel," I said. He gave a quiet laugh.

"Yes, well, we'd better let you rest." I nodded and watched him and Skulduggery leave. I closed my eyes, thinking about the odd reaction I always had to Erskine. I waited for the next hour for Kenspeckle let me free from the bandages.

As soon as I was, I dressed back in my blood-stained clothes and headed to the safe-house to change. I stepped in, and felt a dark energy pooling in the main room. Swallowing, I stepped in and closed the door, pulling on the light around me as I headed toward the source.


	2. Chapter 2

_Part 2:_

I didn't let my exhaustion show as I faced the strange threat in the room. He stared at me blankly, almost as if he were dead. I wouldn't have put it past Mevolent, or his generals, to send Hollow Men or something after me, but this… thing, this creature was nothing. I was surprised I sensed it. I normally only sensed things that had life, or had once been alive. This thing… didn't have the feeling of life around him at all. It was a monster, pure and simple. It shouldn't have existed, but it did. I focused my magic, and the light swirled around me. I felt it searing my lungs, my muscles, my organs, before letting it go.

The creature let out a scream and stumbled back. "Think, Sparrow," I muttered to myself. "How do you kill something that doesn't live or die?" The answer echoed in my mind, my voice, but darker, deeper. _You obliterate it._ The light swelled and the creature was enveloped in the energy. The door behind me collapsed, and people herded in behind me. The creature screamed again and the scent of burning matter filled the air. I fell to my knees, coughing up blood, pain tearing through my torso.

"You attract danger, Sparrow," a voice said in my ear, as arms pulled me up. I barely nodded, choosing to spend my energy more on walking. I stumbled and felt two arms catch my waist. I winced in pain, but said nothing. That voice echoed in my mind. It sounded like mine, but didn't feel like me.

Several sorcerers spread around the area, looking at the fallen creature's remains. There weren't many, but it was enough to see that whatever it was, it shouldn't have been here. I refused to black out as I was carried back to Kenspeckle. I knew he would rant at me again, but I didn't mind. It made me feel like someone actually cared for me.

"That's twice today, Grace, when are you going to learn?" he asked when we entered his compound. I made a non-committal noise and coughed. I heard a voice. Erskine.

"What the hell was that thing?" he asked. I tried to shrug, but Kenspeckle held me down.

"You can ask questions later," the professor said.

It took about an hour before I insisted I was well enough to go back home. I really just wanted to change into non-bloody clothes and sleep. A small crowd gathered around the building I called home. I glanced around to find the familiar face- skull- of my brother and saw nothing. "Where's Skulduggery?" I asked Erskine. He shrugged and followed me in. Someone had taken the time to clean it up. "Stay here, I'm going to change," I said.

_He left you, abandoned you when you needed him,_ that dark voice said to me. _Kill his friends, show him how you feel._ I shook my head. "No," I whispered. "Never." They were my friends too. _It would stop the pain._ I didn't answer, its tone was persuasive. I didn't want to hurt anyone. I just wanted to stop fighting. _Killing everyone would help._ I ignored it and changed. It kept talking, trying to sway me. I went to the door of my room and saw Erskine standing in the main room. The urge to send light in there and kill him was very strong, but I forced it down.

I stepped back against the fragile wall behind me and breathed deeply. Erskine was the last person I wanted to hurt, and with this darkness effecting me as it was, I knew I had to get away from him. I tip-toed to the other end of the hall and climbed out an open shutter. I was lucky I was small.

The darkness flooded me the second I was outside. It blurred through my mind and body and I no longer knew what I was doing. I found myself going back to Mevolent's base, to Serpine, to Vengeous. To my enemies, with murder on my darkened mind.


	3. Chapter 3

_Part 3:_

By morning the stronghold was in sight. I'd realized that whatever had attacked me had somehow imprinted a part of it in me. The voice in my mind grew darker and I knew it was just using my own as a base. I tried to fight it off, as hard as I could, but I was unsuccessful. Its thoughts took over my own, and while I could still think, it had control of my body. _Like a Remnant_. Just not as small, or even somewhat human. Whatever it was it came through from another reality. It had no name, just a consciousness. It pushed me forward, and no matter how hard I struggled I couldn't fight it off. I could no longer call the light to me, even though it was morning.

The area around here was guarded heavily by paper-skinned Hollow Men. They didn't matter much to me, or rather, the consciousness taking over for me. I strode right past them, their attacks doing nothing to me. My clothing absorbed the force, and the thing made my body impervious to injury. I reached the gates and they opened. Suspicion cause me to pause, even the creature was weary. They were expecting me. The gates closed behind me and the retreated to the back of my mind. I instantly felt exhausted and drained. The Hollow Men surrounded me. There wasn't much I could do. Using my powers would kill me.

Serpine strode from the castle; a look of confusion crossed his features momentarily. He gave me a mocking smile. "Back so soon, Grace?" I glared at him.

"No, this is just my ghost dropping in," I said. He ignored that and turned to two of the Hollow Men.

"Take her inside." He turned and two of the paper men grabbed my arms. I twisted, tearing their skin open and the awful gas escaped into the air around me. Serpine turned and sighed. I lifted my chin at him, trying to look proud. Honestly, I was terrified, but it seemed to work.

He snarled and instead of ordering the Hollow Men approached me himself. He pulled off the glove on his right hand and I took a step back. That hand had killed too many people I cared about. "I should kill you right now," he growled.

I kept my eye on him and decided to risk calling the light. It gathered in the palm of my hand, eager to disperse. I didn't channel it through my body this time, I didn't need to. If Serpine lifted that hand of his, I would direct the energy directly at him. His eyes narrowed at the ball of light I held in my hand. "Are you really afraid of me, Serpine?" He snarled, lifting that hand, and I pushed the light out towards him.

Necromancy and light magic don't mix well. The two mixed in the air, his power invisible, mine a bright light. The shockwave of them combining sent the both of us sprawling. The scent of rotting meat filled the air. Several of the Hollow Men were ruptured in the blast. I lay there, dazed for several minutes before I forced myself to sit up. Two more figures strode toward Serpine and me. I swallowed, recognizing them both.


End file.
